How to get inspiration for a song
by Lycopene
Summary: Having lost inspiration, Mio is in search for a boyfriend both to experience what love is about and in hopes to trigger a new song. Ritsu, however, seems to have something else in mind to help her friend. R
1. Listen!

_A/N: This was meant, originally, as a VERY long one-shot but decided against it. So, it'll be a three-shot now. Hope you enjoy it!_

_edit: fixed some typos._

_Edit no.2: fixed, thanks curiousmouse_

* * *

_Summary: Having lost inspiration, Mio is in search for a boyfriend both to experience what love is about and in hopes to trigger a new song. Ritsu, however, seems to have something else in mind to help her friend. __R&R_

_Disclaimer: K-on is not mine!_

* * *

_Edit: Seems some of you guys are confused. Never meant to take the whole idea as mine, so yeah, I was inspired by chapter 2 of the Clover manga, just to clarify. If it bother you, don't read. I just thought the plot bunny suited Mitsu, and applied it. (The idea didn't leave me alone for weeks!) _

_So, thank you in advance!_

* * *

_Special dedication: To my wonderful, awesome, (insert lots of other nice adjectives), beta, Little Donkey! Like I've told you, I'm eternally grateful for helping me out and getting me into the goodness that is Mitsu.I hope master is pleased. __8D_

_Go check out her stuff! :D_

* * *

**How to get inspiration for a song**

_Chapter 1: Listen!_

_"We want to know…to live…to love"_

* * *

Akiyama Mio was not inspired today. In fact, she had not been inspired for a while now and hence was in her current predicament. Mio rolled on the bed to face the ceiling. None of the activities that usually stirred her into writing had proved productive in the last couple of weeks. None at all! And it was winter! And winter always motivated a melancholic mood in her, which was much more prolific with writing! Still, she couldn't even get to finish that one song 'Winter Days' she'd given Ritsu a couple of months ago. She never understood her best friend's frantic reaction to her unfinished song. The lyrics weren't half bad...

Mio sighed. She knew better than to ask Ritsu for her opinion on any of her lyrics. She always dismissed her work as cheesy and overly girly. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't help but wonder why she had given those lyrics to her in first place. And where did that inspiration come from anyway?

She didn't know any guys, nor was she particularly interested in meeting any. Yet, all she could write about was about love. But what did she know about love? Nothing! All she knew was related to fairytales, shoujo manga and TV dramas. In fact, her mom would frequently scold her with a light, incredulous frown.

"Love is nothing like you imagine, Mio-chan," she'd tell her. However, Mio couldn't help but to wonder…She'd never gone on romantic dates. She'd never held hands with her significant other. She'd never been kissed! It was all so embarrassing!

Mio could hear her heartbeat forcibly resonating inside her ribcage and felt stupid. She suddenly turned on her bed and buried her face into her pillow. She couldn't help but feel excited about the idea of love. Not a potential lover perhaps, the possibility of getting a boyfriend scared her out of her mind for some reason, but the idea of sweet, cute love.

Why did she had to think such embarrassing things? !

Maybe all she had to do is to look for a boyfriend…and stop Ritsu from rejecting people for her or scaring away any guys that looked particularly interested in her. Maybe…if she gave one of those guys a chance, she'd get her inspiration back? And know what love is really about? And write more love-inspired lyrics for the band?

Yes, maybe that was what she had to do.

Mio muffled an embarrassing yelp into her pillow.

What had she gotten herself into?

Ritsu's laugh was so loud Mio could've sworn anyone in the vicinity of Max Burger had heard it. Had she not felt particularly bashful at her best friend's reaction she wouldn't have doubted to cover her mouth with both of her hands.

"Ritsu, shut up!" the dark haired girl yelled, cheeks in flames.

Said person snorted, "I-I'm so...s-sorry, Mio," she struggled with laughing, "I just—it's so funny!" she doubled over again and continued her taunting.

Mio gave her a distasteful look. She had not skipped her study session and called her friend so her idea could get laughed at. Stupid Ritsu! Why did she have to laugh at her? Always?

"You're so immature," she jabbed, "I didn't ask you to come here so you could laugh at me." Mio stood up from her place with the intention to leave. A look of fear suddenly crossed Ritsu's face but as soon as it appeared it banished.

She suddenly moved forward and grabbed the bassist's hand, with her usual carefree smile. Mio's blush multiplied with the touch. Ugh, she really hated how any indistinct kind of contact embarrassed her to no end.

"Oi, Mio...don't go, I'm sorry, okay?" her amber eyes twinkled happily at her, and that was something Mio couldn't really say no to. She really had to stop being so lenient with Ritsu.

"Fine," she retrieved her hand away from the brunette; prolonged physical contact was always a cause of discomfort.

There was an awkward pause.

"So, do you really want to get a boyfriend?" Ritsu's voice was unusually quiet as she busied herself with playing with the straw of her coke. Her huge bundle of fries was also uncharacteristically abandoned in the middle of the table.

"Ahh," Mio's voice sort of died in her throat, "Yes," she replied very lowly.

Ritsu raised both of her eyebrows at her. The flush that obscured her cheeks was not leaving her any time soon, the bassist thought with distraught.

"What?"

"Yes Ritsu, I said yes!" Mio hadn't intended to be loud. But the words had quickly escaped her lips, much to her mortification.

She didn't really know why, but talking about getting a boyfriend with Ritsu suddenly felt like a bad idea. There was a tight knot in her stomach bothering her, and she couldn't really express herself well. She felt stupidly nervous and awkward. How could that be when they were best friends and best friends were supposed to tell each other everything? Mio couldn't really tell.

"Oh," Ritsu's surprised reply came a little bit late. Seeing that sudden lost look on her face instead of the usual happiness almost made Mio take her words back.

Was it really so much of a shock?

"B-but…ahhh...it's nothing too important!" she felt like she had to explain herself for some reason, "I just...I haven't felt inspired lately...and I thought...perhaps," she knew her voice was lowering as she continued talking but she couldn't help it, "...if I could get a boyfriend...and experience love...maybe..."

"You could get your inspiration back?" Ritsu finished for her. Mio nodded meekly. Sometimes, she really hated how she could read her thoughts so well.

"You're really are a very linear thinking kinda person, aren't you Mio?" Ritsu smiled very boyishly at her, the mischievous twinkle in her eye was back. Mio reddened again at her comment.

She wasn't so linear! Not really...well, maybe a little bit.

"Shut up!" she hit her in the head with her hand, making Ritsu to stick her tongue out at her in fake pain and giggled. She was glad they were back to their usual antics.

"And what kind of guy are you interested in?" Ritsu had propped her elbow onto the table to rest her chin over her palm to look at her. She reached for some fries with her free hand and gave Mio her undivided attention.

Mio fidgeted in her place...she hadn't thought about that yet.

"Err...I—"

"You haven't really thought about it, have you?" Ritsu looked unimpressed as she proceeded to fill her mouth with a bunch of french fries. Mio felt embarrassed at her lack of planning.

"Well," the drummer was near to emptying half of her fries, "I won't let any random otaku take _my_ Mio."

Otaku? Why otaku?

"Ritsu, stop saying such embarrassing stuff!"

The brunette brushed her off with her hand.

"At least you're not doing it because you're single and lonely, you know...there's no way you'll feel lonely if I'm with you, Mio," she winked at her, one of the fries hanging from her mouth as if it was a cigarette.

"Ritsu..."

"You do have a nasty temper though," Mio smacked her on the head again with her fist, and reddened considerably once she noticed she had just proved her friend's point.

"Oi, Mio that hurt!" she complained with both her hands over her head, "see, no guy will ever want you if you continue with the abuse!" Mio could almost feel a vein popping in her forehead. That Ritsu!

"Even if you do look good with a mini-skirt Santa suit and have big boobs."

"Ritsu!"

The drummer put both her hands up in her defense, "I'm just stating the facts Mio!" The dark haired girl answered by puffing her cheeks. She didn't feel comfortable talking about her body, even if the comments were meant as compliments, by Ritsu nonetheless.

"Anyway," the brunette stuffed a couple of fries into her mouth, "you'll need someone with good looks, intelligence, a nice body and a wealthy family," she stated matter-of-factly as she waved one of the fries wildly in the air, which quickly broke into two.

Mio gave her a disgusted stare.

"Oh, and a good heart!" she pointed the remaining bit of her french fry right into Mio's face.

"I think I'd have a better chance at finding someone fast if you just lowered—"

"No, Mio! You won't settle with anything less!" Ritsu's face was so ridiculously serious while she frantically waved her half fry in the air it almost made Mio laugh.

She finally ate the remaining fry as she whispered something suspiciously similar to, "No random otaku will snatch my Mio away," under her breath.

The bassist gave a dejected sigh. At that rate, she would finally find a suitable guy by the end of her high school life and who knew if they'd be able to continue with their band by then.

"Are you really that desperate?" Ritsu was raising one of her eyebrows with a suspicious look. Mio snatched one of the last fries from the tray and looked away in a vain attempt to dissimulate her embarrassment.

"Sort of," Mio felt like being truthful, "I just want to write about love," her cheeks went pink instantly as she decided to stare at her hands—which were neatly folded over her lap, she was quite glad the brunette didn't laugh.

"That's so you Mio," Ritsu giggled to herself. The bassist looked up surprised, only to find her friend with pink cheeks, probably because of the cold.

"I guess it can't be helped if you're that desperate," the shorter of the two said with a smirk before sending one of the remaining fries into the air and caught it with her mouth.

Mio glared at her. She wasn't desperate!

"Wanna go with each other until you find a boyfriend?"

Mio almost fell from her chair from the shock. And Ritsu had just said it so casually! And with one of those goofy smiles she always gave her! Go out with each other?

"Ritsu! But we're both girls!" she really hated how strangled her voice sounded. It was so outrageous!

"But it sounds fun, doesn't it?" she had gone back to staring at her happily; both her elbows were propped over the table, hands intertwined, as her chin peacefully rested over them.

"Ah...I..."

"We would just pretend."

Pretend? Sounds fun? Going out with… her best friend? As her girlfriend? Only thinking about it made her light headed! And only Ritsu could think about such outrageous, stupid stuff to have fun. What would the others say?

"Mio your face is red," the taller girl placed both her hands over her cheeks to hide her blush, "don't tell me you really do have a crush on me—"

She was hit over the head before she could even finish her sentence, "Stupid Ritsu! What would the others think?"

Ritsu chuckled, "Innocent, innocent Mio, it's pretty common these days—"

"What? No way!" Well, she did know the society was becoming more tolerant...but -she couldn't!

"I knew you were naive Mio-chuan...but not this naive," the drummer baby talked with a cutesy expression, "You're so cute!"

"Ahhh! Not at all! You're right Ritsu! It's better if we're both girls," she nodded a little bit too enthusiastically.

"Men are animals after all," she whispered to herself as an afterthought.

"Did you say something Mio?"

"Ah...I said...it might be fun, yes...fun."

"You don't have to force yourself you know..." Ritsu's expression once again blank, "Seriously Mio, I know I force you into lots of stuff but this was just a suggestion...you being so desperate and all," she scratched the side of her cheek suddenly avoiding her eyes.

Something inside Mio turned into panic, "N-no, Ritsu! I appreciate it, really! It's no problem, let's go out!" she hadn't meant to sound too excited but her voice had a habit of betraying her control.

The brunette's face looked up with disbelief; something in her face told the bassist she couldn't really believe her words.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Ritsu suddenly stood up from her chair and in a swift motion gave a deep bow, her cheeks were quite red. Mio couldn't help but to find the action endearing.

"Please take care of me from now on," she said loudly enough that a couple of other costumers sent them weird out glances. Mio squirmed in her place.

"Please take care of me too," she replied with a soft voice and small bow.

* * *

That night Akiyama Mio did not sleep well. She rolled over constantly on her bed, flipping her pillow to the colder side… every hour or so. In fact, she wasn't so sure if she had actually gotten to dream. She was alarmingly semi-conscious as all the disturbingly romantic images that involved her and her childhood friend obsessed her mind. Having been in that place between falling sleep and consciousness, Mio wasn't quite sure whether such highly upsetting images were a product of her subconscious or her hyperactive imagination. Or maybe a little bit of both? None of the possibilities, however, eliminated her growing concerns.

By the time she woke up completely startled, near three in the morning soaked in sweat, Mio had miserably decided not to go back to sleep. She took _Elisabeth_ from its case and started playing with her—it—in a hopeless attempt to calm her nerves. The way her phone kept ogling at her mockingly, almost as if it were challenging her to call Ritsu like she usually would, only increased Mio's determination to drown her worries with music.

By the time her alarm clock beeped early in the morning, Akiyama Mio had successfully finished the melody for a new song.

* * *

**TBC?**

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A/N:

This is the time on which I've had the most fun writing a story. Hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please continue the reading, I can guarantee you won't feel disappointed! :D

Constructive criticism is always welcomed, just as positive feedback or if you just happen to have an opinion or have something to share, don't hesitate to leave a review.

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_Look forward to next chapter!_

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PREVIEW

* * *

_"Ricchan, look at me I'm Ton-chan's cousin, Godzilla!" Yui bent both her hands in an attempt to resemble a reptile, "Gero Gero~!"_

_"Yui-sempai what is this—"_

_"I'm not Ricchan, Godzilla!" Ritsu too bent both her hands, "I'm Anguirus!" she yelled to the top of her lungs before engaging Yui in a wrestling match._

_"Gero Gero~!"_

_"Mu, mu~!"_

_"Sempai! Don't fight!" Azusa yelped as she pulled quite unsuccessfully from Yui's collar in order to get her away from the other brunette._

_"Azu-nyan, cats can't fight against mutant dinosaurs, I'll protect you!"_

.

.

.

.

AND

.

.

.

.

_"No, it's not okay,"_

_"I think I might have overreacted, really,"_

_"I'll make It up to you," in another sudden moment, Ritsu had moved forward to grab both her hands with hers. They were warmer this time, just like Mio's face._

_"Let's go on a date tomorrow," the drummer said seriously, pink cheeks being the most distinct feature on her face._

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* * *

**Lycopene**


	2. Pure Pure Heart

_A/N: Never expected such a positive response. Thank you everyone for your review! I hope you enjoy the second installment. _

* * *

_Summary: Having lost inspiration, Mio is in search for a boyfriend both to experience what love is about and in hopes to trigger a new song. Ritsu, however, seems to have something else in mind to help her friend. R&R_

* * *

_Disclaimer: K-on is not mine!

* * *

_

_Edit: Seems some of you guys are confused. Never meant to take the whole idea as mine, so yeah, I was inspired by chapter 2 of the Clover manga, just to clarify. If it bothers you, don't read. I just thought the plot bunny suited Mitsu, and applied it. (The idea didn't leave me alone for weeks!) _

_So, thank you in advance!_

* * *

_Special dedication: Little Donkey, this whole fic is for you! Hahahaha. _

_Go check out her stuff! (Do it now, you guys! ) _

* * *

**How to get inspiration for a song**

_Chapter 2: Pure Pure Heart_

_"Go fly! To where you are  
If you'll accept my pure pure heart  
Then I won't be afraid" _

* * *

Their first week 'together' fled by without any change. Well not really—that was a lie but the changes had been so incredibly small, Mio couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. Not that she wanted to do more than holding hands with her best friend—girlfriend! The bassist had never thought about it, but the more days passed the more it seemed that Ritsu wasn't particularly romantic. Sure, she'd go and pick her up at her house instead of meeting each other in the station. Sure, they'd hold hands in the train and whenever they thought nobody was looking—but that was it.

No dates. No kissing. No holding each other. No, nothing! Not that she expected her to, or wanted her to, but when Ritsu had said 'let's go out with each other', she had seriously thought those activities were included in the package. And hell, she was Akiyama Mio, she read cheesy shoujo manga and cried in TV dramas, and believed in fairy tales and cute love! She deserved better! Even if they were just pretending….

"Guuh."

"Is something wrong Mio-chan?" Tsumugi's always tender expression peered into Mio's peripheral vision.

For a moment there, Mio had completely forgotten she was inside the music club room and she had been staring off into space for a while now. It was Friday, and the club members didn't seem to be particularly interested in practicing.

"Hah…no, not really," she dismissed herself as she waved both her hands in front of her face a little too nervously, "don't worry about me, Mugi," she knew her cheeks were deep red now and her statement hadn't sound believable at all.

The quiet blonde did not comment on it, even when Mio knew she had seen straight through her lie. Her often penetrating, blue eyes were enough indication that Mugi had already known the answer to the question even before asking it. That especial quality of her friend was both a blessing and a misfortune, more often the latter.

"The club room is very feisty today, as always," she chirped pleasantly beside her.

"Yeah."

Mugi's observation was right. In the other side of the room Ritsu and Yui were invested in their usual childish antics, Azusa trying desperately to convince both her sempai—especially Yui—to start practice. A very amused Sawako watched from the sidelines as she sipped a cup of tea, deciding on the exact timing for her intervention.

"Ricchan, look at me I'm Ton-chan's cousin, Godzilla!" Yui bent both her hands in an attempt to resemble a reptile, "_Gero Gero~_!"

"Yui-sempai what is this—"

"I'm not Ricchan, Godzilla!" Ritsu too bent both her hands, "I'm Anguirus!" she yelled at the top of her lungs before engaging Yui in a wrestling match.

"_Gero Gero~_!"

"_Mu, mu~!"_

Both girls went straight onto the floor in their struggle. Ritsu trying to gain position as Yui was surprisingly dominating her on the floor. The airhead had decided for some reason that she had to bite Ritsu's neck in true Godzilla like fashion.

"Sempai! Don't fight!" Azusa yelped as she pulled quite unsuccessfully at Yui's collar in order to get her away from the other brunette.

"Azu-nyan, cats can't fight against mutant dinosaurs, I'll protect you!"

"Mio, help me!" Ritsu yelped as she continued to get Yui away from her neck with one of her hands.

The bassist sighed in her place, Ritsu would always be Ritsu.

"I think Ricchan needs your help Mio-chan," Mugi said beside her with a perfectly pleasant smile, Mio knew that smile almost too well. It seemed the blonde was actually enjoying herself.

"She can go die in a hole for all I care," she replied moodily as she tore her gaze away from the wrestling duo. She deserved it for ignoring her through all week. Stupid Ritsu.

"Miooooo~!" said person ignored the drummer again.

_I should just stare at the whiteboard and ignore her….yeah I'll do that…wait—is that a cartoon of myself tripping…?_

Mio's right eye twitched.

"I thought you said you two were okay?" Mugi interrupted her train of thought with an innocent look; Mio stared back at her with a stony expression.

She hadn't meant to be so transparent. Ugh.

W-wait—

When had she said anything about Ritsu and her? And about them being 'okay'? And what kind of 'okay' could she be talking about? Was Mugi a mind reader? And why was Mugi giving her that seriously creepy all knowing smile, faithfully accompanied by the overly pleased sparkling eyes ™?

And what had she meant with you two? As in Ritsu and Mio, two different entities? Or as in Ritsu and Mio…the item? But why would Mugi know they had secretly 'gone out' for a week? So many questions….

"Heh, we're fine Mugi," Mio tried to busy herself with taking a sip from her tea, which turned out to be a bad idea when she realized her hands were suspiciously shaky, "Why do you ask?" she really hated how her smile turned out very tense.

"Oh," the bassist was surprised to find a mildly embarrassed tone to Tsumugi's answer, "it just seemed to me you've been acting different lately," she replied dismissively before turning her head back to a show worthy of a monster movie.

"Godzilla, let's stop fighting!"

"What are you talking about Anguirus?"

"There's an ugly three headed monster in the corner of Tokyo!"

"Who are you calling an ugly three headed monster? !"

"You're right!"

"We need to join forces in order to beat that beast!

"Who are you calling a beast, you brats!"

"We need reinforcements, Godzilla!"

"Roger! Azu—Rodan! Help us fight King Ghidorah!"

"Uh…."

"I'm not a monster!"

"The beast is firing beams of electrical bolts in our direction!"

"FIGHTO!"

By that moment Mio's patience had worn off, her irritation getting to frighteningly high levels. Just seeing that amused face when she was feeling so miserable! That stupid Ritsu—always trying to be the center of attention, ignoring her and playing stupid jokes on people. Mio stood up from her place and stomped over to where a very unlikely trio was circulating their sensei—two with very wild mimics and one rather reluctantly.

"I'm feeling a very dark aura behind me."

"Stupid Ritsu!" Mio punched the top of her head with her fist, although she wasn't exactly sure of the main reason why she felt suddenly angry at the drummer.

"Argh! Mio that hurt like hell!"

"Seeing as no one is interested in practicing today," she gave Ritsu a very pointed stare, "I'm leaving early," the dark haired added with finality.

"Mio-chan…."

"Mio-sempai."

Without any other word she took both her guitar case and her school bag and left the light music club, leaving a very silent quintet behind.

* * *

And so Akiyama Mio walked home alone with a feeling of melancholy looming over her heart –

"Would you stop narrating? I don't want to hear your voice right now," the bassist had been aware of the presence of a certain annoying drummer following her closely for a couple of minutes now.

She had felt surprisingly better about that fact, but she couldn't quite get rid of her anger just yet. Even when she wasn't exactly sure why she was angry in first place, Ritsu would always be Ritsu, or maybe she didn't want to acknowledge it? She didn't know….

"Oh, so you_ are_ mad."

Mio heard her childhood friend-best friend-girlfriend— 'was she really her girlfriend?' — ask behind her. Perhaps if she gave her the silent treatment she'd get the idea that she didn't want to deal with her?

"It was something I did, wasn't it?"

Why did she have to sound so damn gloomy? Gloomy didn't fit Ritsu at all. Mio frowned against her will; she didn't want to give away what she was feeling. Even when she already knew she was quite transparent.

"Hey don't ignore me! I never ignore you! Don't be rude!" the brunette had finally made her move and jerked Mio's shoulder in an attempt to force the taller girl to face her.

Mio's cheeks flared in anger.

"That you never ignore me? You've been ignoring me the whole week!" she yelled in her face, finally voicing what had been haunting her mind for the last couple of days.

"Huh?" Ritsu gave her a frozen expression, "I thought you weren't intending to talk to me…."

"Oh forget it, Ritsu, go home…stop following me!" she moved away hastily. She wasn't in the mood to deal with her thickheadness.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Mio, you do realize we live in the same direction, don't you?"

The bassist looked over her shoulder to realize Ritsu was still frozen in her place.

"Argh! You're impossible!" she yelled again. In reality, she had wanted to yell a lot more stuff too.

Get lost! I hate you! Don't talk to me! But Mio knew she didn't have it in her. Besides she knew better than to say something she'd regret later. But that…that…_person_…was so infuriating. It was almost as if she enjoyed making her suffer! Wait….

She did enjoy making her suffer! Ugh!

"Oi! Mio, come back, I'm sorry!" she heard an extremely familiar set of footsteps following behind her. Her heart skipped a beat but Akiyama Mio was a stubborn woman and she wasn't intending to give in so easily.

She had started to walk in very brisk pace, in hopes of getting to her house sooner, when she felt a very familiar set of hands hold onto her left hand. They were kind of cold.

Mio halted in her place. Why was she having a shoujo manga déjà vú?

"I don't know what it was all about, okay? I might've been sort of ignoring you lately, I'm sorry."

As soon as those words left her mouth, her anger dissipated. How could she affect her so much? Why? And why was this scene so similar to some of those love stories she was so familiar with? And her heart was beating pretty fast…and Ritsu's cold hands were somehow warming her cold one….

_Is this what love is about?_

The answer, that she didn't know, scared her to no end.

"I guess, I just…I was a little afraid of scaring you away with any weird move or something," she started to elaborate, sensing that silence was a bad thing, "This is all pretend and all…but I felt you were a little…reluctant, I'm sorry."

_Not reluctant! Never!_ She didn't have the guts to say it.

"It's okay," she let go of her hands.

Mio feared were their hands clasped together any longer, she might end up doing something she'd regret or just plain pass out from embarrassment—and she didn't want Ritsu to get the wrong idea.

They were all pretend, like she had said.

"No, it's not okay."

"I think I might have overreacted, really!"

"I'll make it up to you," in another sudden moment, Ritsu had moved forward to grab both her hands with hers. They were warmer this time, just like Mio's face.

"Let's go on a date tomorrow," the drummer said seriously, pink cheeks being the most distinct feature on her face.

"Agh…." There was a lump in Mio's throat that had temporarily refrained her from answering correctly. It was almost as if her heart had jumped and obstructed her vocal cords.

"We don't have to, if you don't want to," Mio felt Ritsu's intention to let go of her hands and held onto them with a strong grip. She was nervous and almost shaking, but she couldn't let the moment go.

"No, I want to, I really want to!" she closed her eyes as such embarrassing words exited her lips and decided on looking at her shoes.

She didn't intend to sound so excited.

Mio heard Ritsu huff, "Oi, Mio," she looked up to gape at a very cherry Ritsu with a childish smile, "was this scene good inspiration for a song?"

The dark haired girl gave her a disbelieving stare.

"I'm a good actress, aren't I?" she smiled at her with eyes closed in resemblance to a cat. Mio felt her right eye tick with anger.

She had decided to give the shorter girl a new bump on her head.

* * *

It was Saturday's afternoon, fifteen past four to be exact and Akiyama Mio was running late. A shocking occurrence because Akiyama Mio never ran late. NEVER. Not rarely. Never. Not at parties. Not at school. Not at rehearsal. And most definitely not on dates—never mind she'd never been on a romantic date before. Unless, that event involved the presence of a certain brown haired drummer. They ran late whenever she had to wait longer than necessary for her before school. Every time she was distracted by her before club activities. Or when she woke up—late—because she had been talking with her way past midnight. So, it was no surprise when Akiyama Mio realized she was running late, fifteen minutes late, to her date with said drummer. She didn't know what to wear! It was a good reason! Ritsu had seen her all of her clothes before! And she had meant to dress herself to impress…not that she needed to impress her childhood friend! Not really…and it was winter…winter clothes wouldn't be too revealing anyway…

_Ugh, what am I thinking?_

So in the end, she was still running late. But that's what people called fashionably late, right?

They had decided to meet in a park that was close to both their houses—they couldn't be too suspicious now, could they? However, even when the park was quite deserted, there were no signs of her companion for the day. Which wasn't so surprising…considering it was Ritsu they were talking about.

"Oi Mio, right behind ya!" she felt a hand rest over her shoulder and hot breath on her ear.

"Kyaa!" she hit the stranger with her handbag over the head. Said person took the blow head on…the person was shorter than her….

"What did I say about the abuse, Mio?" the bassist recognized the groan that had accompanied the exclamation and reddened.

Of course a stranger wouldn't know her name….

"I'm so sorry, Ritsu! I didn't see you!" she apologized with a small nervous bow of her head.

Although, if she was honest, she had seen the person with the black hoodie beside the swings and didn't recognize her. She knew how she looked without her headband, but she still had trouble recognizing her since it was a rare sight. It really surprised her how different she looked. She had been wondering how she looked without it for a while now. She made a note to ask about it later.

"It's okay Mio, I'm used to it," she smiled at her charmingly, and Mio had to stop herself from hitting her over the head.

Why did she have such a habit?

"Were you waiting long?"

"Quite a bit, actually."

How could fifteen minutes be long? Unless she had decided to drop by earlier? Nahh….

"Aren't you supposed to say 'I just got here'?" she felt herself flush. She really was a hopeless romantic.

"You watch too many doramas Mio," she snorted.

"Shut up…."

The taller girl felt like rebutting but thought better of it. Accepting she watched lots of dramas was embarrassing. BUT—'I just got here' was what the marvelous gentlemanly male protagonist always said to woo his maiden! TV drama rules said so!

Except this wasn't a TV drama…and they were both girls…okay, maybe the rule didn't apply?

"Oh I know," the stupid—pretty—smile was still gracing her features, "how about…I was just waiting long enough for my lips to get cold so you could warm them with a kiss?"

"That's way more embarrassing! Don't say stuff like that so suddenly!" she resisted the urge to hit her across the face again with her handbag. However, the urge was so strong she ended up tapping her over the head.

At least it wasn't a punch….

"What's this? A love caress?" she gave her an innocent look.

Mio pushed her with force, "Ritsu!" the drummer stammered to regain balance with a chuckle.

Her face had gone so unbelievably hot; she had started to feel light headed. Kissing? Was she serious about it? And caresses? Ugh…why was she thinking about that stuff? WHY?

"Were you serious about that?" Mio's voice was so low; she almost feared her companion hadn't heard her. She didn't want to repeat herself.

"About what?" she peered into the other girl's vision beside her. Mio's current predicament involved not being able to look anything but the floor.

"About kissing and stuff."

"I didn't hear you Mio."

"About kissing, Ritsu, kissing!" she yelped before covering her quivering mouth with both her hands. She had deliberately taken the 'and stuff' away in fears of what that could mean, her not so innocent mind couldn't really process more than a couple of kissing scenes.

She hadn't intended to yell that! Noooo…..

"Oh," Ritsu withdrew her face from Mio with a fierce blush obscuring her cheeks, "I…I guess, if you want to…."

_I want to! Do I want to? What am I supposed to say to that? If I say that I want to, would she kiss me right now? _

She finally looked up in hopes to find anything to divert her attention, "Uh, I-I've been meaning to ask you…about your hair," she pointed to Ritsu's head, whose bangs were the only part visible since she had the hoodie up.

"My hair?" she took the hoodie off, "Oh right…it looks weird then? Of course," she answered her own question, for some reason the drummer looked rather crestfallen.

"Oh no!" Mio blurted out, "It looks cute!"

"Huh?" she gave her a skeptical look, "you don't have to lie, you know?" she frowned as she proceeded to cover herself with the hoodie again.

"No!"She didn't really process it but she had gotten hold of Ritsu's hand before she could even attempt to cover her hair again, "You look really cute!"

Her heart was stammering so crazily against her chest she almost felt like dying. The day was so cold both their breaths looked noticeably white. She couldn't help but notice how cold Ritsu's hand was in comparison with her own as a sudden flashback of a set of lyrics flashed through her mind.

_No matter how cold it is, I'm still very happy_

_When I look at you and see you blow out white breath in the cold_

_Your brown hair looks oh so very beautiful_

_But I really want to see the front of your hair down_

Her heart had almost stopped right there as she let go of the hand of the brunette. Those lyrics…she hadn't known where all that inspiration had come from…or any of her other lyrics now that she thought about it. She had written about love most of her life. Yet here… the reason was so strikingly clear…could it be….

"Mio?"

"Y-yes?"

"Thanks."

Ritsu's smile was small but bright. There was a sudden urge in the pit of Mio's stomach she couldn't quite identify so she ignored it. For the way her heart was beating frantically, however, she felt as if she had just run a complete marathon.

She didn't feel like hitting her anymore.

* * *

They had decided to do nothing out of the ordinary, well Ritsu had. They went to the movies, and settled for a romantic comedy, much to the drummer's dismay. They had gone to the arcade, like they always did and for a cup of tea. Now that she thought about it…it hadn't been remotely different from their usual outings. Had Ritsu and her gone on lots of dates before then? At least they were holding hands on their walk back home…but they used to hold hands a lot not so long ago…and why had they stopped holding hands anyway? Seeing as it had always been innocent….

_Are we really a couple?_

"And remember that day I told you I went out with Mugi?

"Well, I won a bear for her, I'm sorry I didn't have so such luck today—Mio are you listening?"

"Huh?"

"I guess you weren't," Ritsu wasn't careful enough to cover her bitter tone.

"I'm so sorry! I was just thinking…" she trailed off.

"About?"

"How this is not different from when we went out as friends," the words slipped through her lips in a pensive tone before she could even stop herself from saying it.

That wasn't something she had intended to say out loud! She tried very hard not to wriggle her hand away in her panic.

"I just thought—Mugi once told me I'd be very popular with the girls if I were a boy when I took her to those kinds of places, you know," she shrugged in a vain attempt to hide the fact that she was embarrassed. Her red cheeks, however, were a dead give away.

Mio paused for a moment. Mugi had said that? How—Why? Huh? Was she angry about that? Could she be angry about that? Could she be mad with Mugi? Wait—was she jealous?

"Well, you're not a boy," she squeezed her hand as she decided to avoid her eyes, "I think…," Mio took a deep breath, "I think you're very pretty."

There was a pause.

"Really?" the barely concealed surprise took the bassist aback. Wasn't Ritsu the more confident of the two?

"Well, yes."

The drummer's amber eyes widened at her answer, it was almost as if they had life on their own, she liked her best that way. She had always loved the way her eyes were so expressive.

"Well, I think you're beautiful, Mio!" she yelled in her ear, and suddenly it was almost as if they were back to elementary school when Ritsu would shout compliments to her out of the blue.

This time Mio couldn't really ignore the buzzing of her heart in her ears.

"Wanna flatter me more?" the drummer smiled at her wholeheartedly much like an innocent child.

Mio tried to look dignified despite her reddening face, "Now, you're getting quite ahead of yourself, don't you think?"

"Ohhh, Mio-chuuan, why are you always so mean to me~?"

"I just flattered you!"

"Oh that's right," she stuck her tongue out adorably at which Mio snuffled a laugh.

_Maybe I could get used to this?_

They continued walking for a couple of more minutes in silence. Soon they had arrived to the park they had decided to meet that afternoon. Ritsu came into an abrupt halt making Mio tug at her hand questioningly.

"Is something wrong?

Ritsu inhaled sharply as if she were making up her mind about something.

"Should we kiss?"

Mio would've been lying to herself if she said she didn't see it coming. A part of her had been expectant, the other half quietly anxious. The setting was perfect; it was still cold enough for them to see their white breaths, but not quite cold enough for them not to keep warm as they were holding hands. It was also quite late, and there were no bystanders nearby that she could see.

"N-Now?" she really regretted how her voice sounded so fidgety.

Ritsu bit her lip. "It's not like I can kiss you outside your front door—wait forget it—

"Yes, now, this moment." The drummer grabbed both of Mio's hands with her own. By now, they had lost count of the many times they had blushed, but it didn't really matter.

Her heart was beating faster as time passed, and there was this something…that told her…it was the right thing to do.

"Yes," Mio whimpered.

"Let's go ho—wait, what?"

"Yes, Ritsu, kiss me," she said it in a sudden purge of bravery. It had been so hard to say it, but she did and she was glad.

She could completely obsess over it once she got home.

"You want me to kiss you?" the question was slow, as if she were hoping she would change her mind. The bassist really hoped that wasn't the case.

"Yes," Mio's words were whispery but steady; inwardly she was very proud of herself as she wasn't jittery or anxious.

"Okay," Ritsu pulled back her hands and plumped them by the sides of her body before jumping on the spot.

The drummer's positive reaction gave Mio a sense of relief. A gentle giggle escaped the bassist's lips, it had never occurred to her that drummer could possibly be as nervous as she was.

"What's so funny?"

"You."

"I'm nervous okay…I've never kissed anyone before," she said the last bit very fast and in a slurry tone, as she avoided the bassist's eye.

"Oh."

For the first time of the day, the thought that it was also her first kiss, and that she was sharing said first kiss with her best friend crossed her mind.

"Well, it _is_ an all-girls-school," Ritsu said as if it made the fact that she had never kissed someone before only logical, "no wonder you can't get a boyfriend," she added the last bit as an afterthought before laughing at her own joke.

Something in Mio's stomach tightened. Did she really want that?

There was silence and before she knew it, Ritsu's face was scarily close to hers. The temperature around her increased as she watched the drummer's reddening cheeks. Ritsu was closing her eyes slowly. Mio's breath was becoming faster…heavier….

_Her eyelashes are so long and pretty. Why hadn't I noticed before?_

"Mio, close your eyes," Ritsu's breath tickled her mouth teasingly.

She'd been so nervous, looking at her face up close. She had never really noticed but she really was beautiful. How come people often overlooked her? There was another wave of hot breath on her lips and Mio obliged.

The frantic beating of her heart was loud enough she assured the drummer could hear it. For a couple of seconds, she couldn't really tell, nothing happened…but their faces were so close to each other …their warm breathing, smelling of strawberry shortcake, itched on their skin. She could sense something hover over her lips as their noses brushed each other. A couple of other seconds passed very slowly… and Mio couldn't take it anymore in fears of fainting. She felt bold, closed the gap separating their lips and very clumsily kissed her.

She couldn't really tell whose lips were the ones quivering, probably both, but the first couple of seconds passed unmoving. Tight lips against tight lips, both of them cold and chapped. Mio then felt something moist touch her mouth as a very warm sensation spread through all her chest. Ritsu's lips were moving over hers in very slow, yet confident, strides…like caresses, feathery caresses. Her hands were now on both of Mio's cheeks; they were warm, coarse and rather small, unlike hers. In that moment, she had to put both her hands over Ritsu's shoulders in an effort to calm her buckling knees. She felt so emotionally sensitive, vulnerable— she almost felt like crying. Heart had blown up like a balloon and parted away from her grasp.

She hadn't intended to, but Mio broke the kiss first—instantly missing warm lips over her own. Her heart was ramming against her ribcage painfully, she felt warm all over and slightly light headed. Mio curled her long fingers over the drummer's hoodie before diving into a warm embrace.

"Mio, are you okay?"

She had forgotten to breathe.

* * *

That night Mio fell asleep to a tune she dubbed, "Strawberry Feathery Kisses"

* * *

**TBC?**

* * *

A/N:

A explanatory note first.

1) The whole Godzilla thing was a reference to moster movies, kaiju movies. Yui of course is speaking nonsense, again. Because first, Ton-chan is a turtle, and "gero gero" is the sound of a big frog…and Godzilla is a dinosaur. LOL. Oh and Ritsu is doing the sounds of a turtle (I think), so yeah both of them are wrong. XD Thought it'd be funny. Also, Anguirus is a dinosaur that was the first 'enemy' of Godzilla, because his species was particularly aggressive toward other species, until Godzilla won his friendship after biting his neck. O_O; Guess shonen has always been shonen? And hence, the references. And they called Sawa-chan, King Ghidorah, Godzilla's arch nemesis. XD While Yui named Azu-nyan, Rodan, another of Godzilla's allies (a flying monster)—both of them being considered one of the best teams of all times in kaiju movies. XD

Second a rant.

The part about a "you're a girl not a boy' blah blah, I just wanted to say it because I REALLY hate those kind of fics that portray Ritsu as this BOY in a girls body, which I don't think it's the case. Sure she's boyish and all, but not a guy or close. I just don't understand some people's fixation on tying in them in 'traditional gender roles'. Personally, I much more of the thought that relationships are way too complex (especially involving same sex-relationships) to overly simplify it into "butch and femme", pseudo 'traditional roles'. And Mitsu is an interactive relationship anyway, no roles defined whatsoever. Seme Mio anyone? XD That's all. Oh, and I think Ritsu auto-sabotages herself, and her chances to be beautiful as a girl, anyway. Seeing as she has 'Mio's perfect Japanese beauty' (and she likes her stuff VERY Japanese), I believe it would quite hard to measure up? I don't think she wants to be girly girly deep in her, no, but that she wouldn't mind being thought of as a 'pretty girl' seeing as she has a 'personal image complex' (she's jealous of Mio's boobs!) Enough on character analysis.

And LOL, I teased you guys for like 7,000 words before any kiss showed up. LOL. And hell, that's the most descriptive kissing scene I've written, ever. And it was yuri, what is wrong with me?

I know I completely raped the continuity but for the sake of this ignore it. Canonically, this happens after the winter break in their second year, and Ritsu hasn't gone out with Mugi, BUT for the sake of the story, let's pretend they went out the summer before. Also, it's around February so…they have final exams. As to why Mugi was so 'reserved' about the "news" is all up to you to decide.

Oh, god this was a long author note. Sorry. Hope you guys have enjoyed the ride this far. I sure have. Look forward to next chapter! It'll be the last one.

Constructive criticism is always welcomed, just as positive feedback or if you just happen to have an opinion or have something to share, don't hesitate to leave a review.

* * *

_Look forward to next chapter!_

_I'm feeling evil and no preview this time around._

* * *

**Lycopene**


	3. Strawberry Feathery Kisses

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews you guys! Seriously, it makes my day and motivates me to write more Mitsu stuff! _

_This chapter is extra long for you. Also, my favorite part. Hope you enjoy! _

* * *

_Summary: Having lost inspiration, Mio is in search for a boyfriend both to experience what love is about and in hopes to trigger a new song. Ritsu, however, seems to have something else in mind to help her friend. R&R_

* * *

_Disclaimer: K-on is not mine!_

_

* * *

_

_Edit: Seems some of you guys are confused. Never meant to take the whole idea as mine, so yeah, I was inspired by chapter 2 of the Clover manga, just to clarify. If it bothers you, don't read. I just thought the plot bunny suited Mitsu, and applied it. (The idea didn't leave me alone for weeks!) _

_So, thank you in advance!  
_

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_Special dedication: Little Donkey, of course you know this, the final installment is also yours. _

* * *

**How to get inspiration for a song**

_Chapter 3: _Strawberry Feathery Kisses

* * *

A month passed by quickly for Akiyama Mio. They did go on two other dates. They did not kiss again. Mio's concern however grew tenfold. Ritsu had always been her friend, always there for her when she needed her. Protecting her. But the fine line that had delimited their friendship was now so thin she couldn't really tell where it was or if it had ever existed. All she knew was that her heart wanted to burst whenever she was near her. And that she loved her. She really did. Always did even. The problem was...she wasn't so sure what kind of love it was anymore.

_Could she be that way?_

Could she have fallen in love with her best friend? Or more importantly, had she been in love with her best friend all along?

The creak of an opening door broke Mio from her reverie.

"Mio-chan, is everything alright?"

Tsumugi's smile often had a calming effect on the bassist. It was exam week, and they had decided to suspend club activities in hopes to aid the less fortunate with extra study hours—the lazy and often careless dynamic duo, Yui and Ritsu. Mio, however, needed someone to share her burden with and was not surprised when she realized Kotobuki Tsumugi was the only person she could probably turn to.

The bassist gripped into the fabric of her skirt, she knew she had been unusually silent and was quite grateful Tsumigi was a patient person.

"I need…I need to talk to you, Mugi," the blonde haired girl nodded and glided to the chair on which she always sat beside her.

"I'm all ears," her voice was very gentle, so gentle it reminded Mio of her mother. The comparison was enough to calm her nerves.

A minute of silence followed as she tried to arrange her thoughts. Mio inhaled sharply and gulped,"Ritsu and I are going out."

The bassist was instantly surprised at how clear her statement had come out. Mugi hummed to herself, her eyes were still soft and twinkling like always.

"As in girlfriend…and," there was an unnecessary pause, "and girlfriend." Both of Mio's hands were gripping into her skirt so strongly her knuckles had turned white. She wasn't quite sure whether her body was shaking. The vibrato of her stomach not being enough indication.

"Ahh," the blue eyed girl said simply. Her smile was cryptic and well-mannered as she put one of her extremely warm hands over both of Mio's.

Tsumugi had closed her eyelids, and so the bassist couldn't really tell what her emotions were.

"It's only pretend though," the words slipped her lips leisurely, the blonde looked at her with searching eyes, her eyebrows were slightly elevated signaling her surprise.

"I think I might be in love with her Mugi."

Everything inside of Mio's body twisted. Her voice had sounded so small…so broken...as her heart was wringing inside her chest…it was so unbelievably painful. Tsumugi moved her other hand to rest over Mio's back just as she heard the first sob escape the bassist's lips. The blonde patted her on the back gently before being swathed into an eager hug.

They didn't talk for as long as Mio continued crying into Mugi's shoulder. There was no need for words to be exchanged as Tsumugi's soothing humming filled the silence of the clubroom. The labored breathing and huffing quickly turning into a sad lullaby.

Mio finally decided to stirr away from her arms after a couple of minutes. Mugi took that action as the right opportunity to voice her concerns.

"Are you going to do something about it?"

"I don't know," Mio rubbed both of her eyes, which were just red enough that it was only noticeable from up close.

"Do you want her to know?" Tsumugi's voice was unusually calm.

Mio answered with silence. The answer to that question, she didn't know.

Then door opened with a bang, revealing a panting Ritsu with extremely messy hair, backpack slung over her shoulder.

"I've been looking all over the place for you Mio—oh Mugi, hi," she said after having regained her breath. Mio answered with a strained smile.

"Hi, Ricchan, we were just discussing new lyrics," Tsumugi covered for her perfectly, the drummer's attention turned to the tallest of the three. Her face seemed quite perky.

"You have new ideas for lyrics already, Mio?"

Mio avoided her eye discretely; she didn't want her to notice she had been crying.

"Well, sort of..." at her answer Ritsu's smile broadened rapidly as she ran and took Mio's hand into hers.

"I'm glad," she said, "Come'n," she tugged at her hand, signaling her to stand up from her place and follow her. Mio exchanged a confused look with Tsumugi.

"Where are you taking me?" the bassist voice was very quiet. Her heart had gone overdrive, both of their hands were sweaty, for completely different reasons.

"Oh?" the drummer yelped in surprise, "Mio, you forgot?"

She really hated when Ritsu frowned at her with disappointment.

"Forgot… w-what?"Mio tried tentatively, completely ignoring the creaking of her voice, as she stood up from her place. Mugi just dedicated herself to watch them with a pleasant smile.

"You're going to help me study, remember?" Ritsu gave her a deadpan stare before continuing her walk towards the door briskly, Mio in tow.

"Thanks for taking care of Mio, Mugi!" she didn't look back as the door of the clubroom closed loudly behind them.

.

.

.

They walked to Mio's home together in relative silence. Ritsu had decided not to mention the redness of her partner's eyes if she had noticed.

* * *

"Where are the lyrics?" Was the first thing that exited Ritsu's mouth as they stepped inside Mio's bedroom.

She didn't answer as the brunette started rummaging through her many drawers and searching through her scattered notebooks over her desk— sending her ballpoint pen and stapler onto the floor.

What was she supposed to say? _I don't have any? Mugi lied to you?_ That the few couple of paragraphs she had managed to write were in the trash can because they were way too embarrassing and explicit to share?

"They're not finished Ritsu," Mio tried to sound severe. Perhaps that way, she could stop her_ friend_ from destroying the visual order of her room.

_There was no point in calling her 'my girlfriend' anyway. We are pretending after all._ She thought grimly to herself.

"But you showed them to Mugi!" Ritsu complained loudly, "That's the whole point of…of…_ this_ anyway!" she gestured wildly to each other with one of her hands.

Those words struck Mio hard. She knew it was the truth but hearing from her mouth, it made her feel like crying again. There was no point in getting worked up about it, though; as it was a truth both of them knew quite well. But she was Akiyama Mio, and Akiyama Mio always got worked up about everything.

"Oh that's right they must be in your schoolbag…" the drummer muttered under her breath as she made a dive for Mio's forgotten schoolbag beside the door.

Mio seized for the back of her collar in a strong hold. At least she was good at redirecting any kind of feeling she had into anger. That…she was good at.

"Agh, Mio!"

"You're acting stupid, drop it," she ordered sternly. She was trying to get hold of her emotions. Last thing she wanted was to end up looking like a human hosepipe.

"You're the one acting unreasonable—argh—your hold is too tight Mio! Hell, why are you trying so hard to hide them from me?" the dark haired girl didn't feel like looking at her…friend's distraught face and so just decided to pull her strongly enough so she would fall over the carpet on her butt.

_Control yourself, Mio. Control yourself. Don't get her get to you. _

"I'll show them to you when they're finished, okay?" she let out a sigh she didn't know she had been holding and made her way to sit by the small studying table in front of her bed.

Ritsu remained in her place on the carpet by the door; her long bangs covered half her face from Mio's angle of vision.

"I'm sorry," her words threw her off guard, for some reason she didn't want to acknowledge her heart had started a restless run.

"Mio, you were crying today, weren't you?" the bassist couldn't see her face but her soft tone, unusual in her cheery persona, spread warmth throughout her body.

_What to say to that? How can she read me so well? _

"Uh…."

"Don't cry again, okay?" she turned to her with a bright tender smile and glossy amber eyes, "You look really cute but I really hate it when you're sad," she closed her eyes as she smiled. Mio's heart skipped a beat as she gulped down her tears.

"Ahh…l-let's get into s-studying," she fumbled upon her words awkwardly, this was no time to get embarrassed but it was too late as she felt something hot spread over her cheeks.

Ritsu moved and propped her elbow onto the study table, resting her chin over her open palm.

"I'll try not to get too distracted," the brunette said simply. The way she was giving her such a focused stare, however, only furthered Mio's embarrassment.

"Although it'll be very hard considering my sensei is so cute."

"Ritsu! You're too embarrassing!" Mio wailed after the drummer's sleek smirk, "That's so not you!"

She had only considered a corny Ritsu as a part of her imagination.

"Eh? But I thought you wanted me to say cheesy stuff! Like the people in those corny dramas you watch…."

"I never said that! A-And that doesn't mean you have to say it!"

_But it really makes me happy that you say it. Why do I often say the opposite of what I feel? _

"But a blushing face really suits Mio," Ritsu whined before pouting like a little child.

"Just shut up already!"

"I wonder… if I should call Sawa-chan and ask her for a maid outfit…."

That was the last straw, as one of Mio's pillows hit the face of very entertained Tainaka.

* * *

Much to Akiyama Mio's astonishment, Ritsu was unexpectedly focused as they went through a complete course of Japanese History in less than five hours. It was almost as if she had been possessed by some superior spirit. She knew the brunette possessed the attention span of a five year old and often needed to spend the whole night cramming for an approbatory grade—not that she wasn't smart but Ritsu generally lacked the diligence and motivation to get through general school work and customary study sessions. So, it was a surprise when Ritsu managed to be mostly focused throughout the five hours they had spent studying—perhaps, she didn't give her enough credit.

"I'm brain dead," the drummer whined. She had her face toppled over the table lazily.

"I fail to see how that is possible when you're still talking."

Mio didn't look up from her notes, she was close to finishing the guide she had been working on for the brunette, just in case…she were to forget anything of what she had learned in the last couple of hours.

"I'm special?"

"Keep saying that to yourself," she was so close to finishing…if only Ritsu could shut up for a second….

"Mio…you're always so cooooldd," Ritsu shifted her head over the table towards Mio, much to her irritation she was pouting again.

_She isn't going to shut up, is she?_

Mio looked up from her notes, "I'm just trying to finish your study guide," the drummer's face cheered up instantly.

"Really?" her head rose from the table at lightening speed, "I love you too, Mio-chan!" she suddenly hugged her from the waist. Mio's cheeks flared, there was no way she'd be able to change that habit of hers anytime soon, right?

"Don't say stuff like that," she said under her breath as she tried to push the smaller girl away without much effort.

_You don't even mean that, you idiot…and why do you have to be so touchy-feely? _

"But …Mio I—"

The door suddenly creaked open and the girls separated from each other in a dash. Friends or not. Pretending or not. They didn't want to be caught in a compromising situation.

"Ritsu, you idiot!" Mio sent another of her pillows in the brunette's way and missed miserably. Her mother's face appeared by the doorway with a bright smile. Mio really hoped her mother would assume her scarlet face was one of anger.

"I see you're getting along, as always," she said amiably, both girls nodded energetically at the same time.

"You're staying here tonight, right Ricchan?" Mio's mom asked with hopeful eyes. Ritsu being the closest to the grown woman was almost tripped over by a nearby chair.

"Uh…we're actually finished, right Mio?" she talked a little bit too fast, a barely visible pink blush spread on her cheeks.

Mio, in the other hand, felt herself panic rapidly.

"Y-yes!"

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Aww, but Ricchan…it's been a while since you've joined us for dinner and stayed with us," Mio felt like flushing further at her mother's behavior, she couldn't really understand why she was so fond of Ritsu to start with.

"I'm sure Mio-chan, here, misses you at night, she used to cry every time you went home when you were little," she clapped her hands together and giggled to herself. Something inside Mio almost died.

She hadn't cried since she was twelve! It was a lie! A LIE!

"Mom!"

_Why does it seem like my mother is trying to embarrass me? _

"I…I wouldn't like to impose on you at the last minute," Ritsu replied very formally, something that surprised both mother and daughter.

"Huh? But you've never worried about that before Ricchan…." Mio's mom turned her face away with a dejected expression as she took the doorknob with one of her hands with intention to leave the room.

_Is mom sulking? _

"Ahh…I'll stay! I'll stay!" Ritsu had her eyes closed as she stumbled upon her words, her cheeks were flaming a bright color like Mio had seen little times before. Both of her fists closed at her sides.

_What?_

Mio's mom opened the door again with a reserved smile. The bassist couldn't believe her mother as she gaped at her from her place by the table.

"Mio's pajamas are a little too big for you but please do with them," she said politely. Ritsu nodded feebly.

_Are you trying to rub it in, mom? _

"Ah, and dinner is ready, "she turned her attention from the brunette to her daughter, "also Mio be kinder to your guests, I don't throw pillows at my guests, do I?" her voice was sweet and polite before closing the door behind her.

If she hadn't had enough from embarrassing herself all the time, her mother seemed to think she needed a little push too.

"Your mom is really nice Mio, no wonder you're such a pampered brat."

Mio answered with another pillow aimed at the drummer's face. Ritsu evaded the blow without difficulty.

"I can't believe you accepted her offer so easily." To be honest, she was still quite dismayed.

It wasn't that she didn't want her to stay, quite the contrary, but in her current predicament…she wasn't so sure she could restrain herself from doing anything funny…ugh.

"I can't say no to your mom, you know that." The drummer's voice was a mix between happiness and embarrassment. The bassist felt something akin to anger in the pit of her stomach.

It was very lucky for Ritsu that Mio didn't have another pillow to throw her way.

* * *

The dinner was friendly and a little bit louder than usual—well that wasn't exactly true. Whenever Ritsu was in the house, it seemed as if her dining room became alive and brightened a thousand colors. It had always been that way. Mio liked it that way, and it seemed her parents too. All of a sudden, Mio's father would stop talking about politics for a while, Mio's mom would make a joke or two and Mio herself would find herself laughing loudly against her better judgment just as Ritsu would animatedly retell a mundane happening in the clubroom or the latest prank Mio had fallen into.

Mio loved her parents dearly, but even when they often put an effort in getting to know of her life, she could never bring herself to be too personal with them. However, whenever Ritsu was around, it seemed as if the cozy, often strict, but very calm atmosphere that surrounded the Akiyama family melted away with Ritsu's energetic attitude and jokes. It was then, when she could relax at Ritsu's antics that her parents got to see little parts of Mio's personality they did not know about or rarely got a glimpse of. Yes, perhaps that was the reason they were so fond of the Tainaka. Perhaps, that was the reason Mio herself was so fond of her too. It was almost as if she was continuously guiding her along into being more comfortable with herself. She was thankful for it too. Ritsu spurred her actions that she did not know she was capable of, but more importantly—feelings she did not know existed. Or perhaps she had always known they existed but had them repressed so deep within herself she had missed them completely?

Why did she have to be so_ complicated_? Mio really envied the simple minded. She was sure Yui wouldn't have as much trouble as she was having now… staring at her bathroom door while she hugged a pillow.

What could Ritsu be doing there? Could she be changing into _her_ pajama? A pajama Mio would wear later…a pajama that would've touched Ritsu's skin? Or could she be showering? Ritsu naked in her shower…. Suddenly, Mio couldn't help but bite her lip as her mind obsessed over those minor details. For a moment she considered slapping herself for thinking so…so disgraceful thoughts but stopped herself when she heard the sound of the knob turning.

Ritsu exited the bathroom with damp hair, blushing cheeks, and a pajama that was a little bit too big for her. Mio felt slightly disappointed to notice, she had decided to put her bangs up in the pineapple hairdo she seemed so fond of.

"It's been a while since I wore your pajamas," she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, Mio noticed she had folded up the end of her trousers, "last time I wore any of them we were about the same size," the bassist noted a hint of displeasure in her sentence but said nothing about it.

"You look ridiculous," she said the last thing on her mind, just like she always did whenever she felt particularly anxious. Ritsu was wearing a pajama that consisted of a unicorn and shooting stars print in baby blue fabric.

"Says the person who owns them," she raised a fine eyebrow at her in amusement, "but I really like it, the others were either pink, with hearts or plain," she stuck her tongue out in displeasure. Mio glared at her bluntness as Ritsu grabbed onto the hem of the jacket and smelled it, "It smells like you Mio!" the brunette smiled.

The dark haired girl turned her head away from her and squirmed in her bed. She was really nervous. They were sleeping together in the same room as a couple. Sure, Ritsu was going to sleep in a futon beside her bed…but she couldn't help but feel uneasy as she saw the way Ritsu's hair still glistered with water. Stupid Ritsu, she could catch a cold if she slept with wet hair. On the other hand, said drummer looked as if the topic, that plagued Mio's mind, had not even crossed her head and acted as if she was in her own room.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me?" Ritsu woke Mio from her reverie; the latter couldn't help but to blush from head to toe. She hadn't been aware that she had been staring at her the whole time.

"Err…y-your hair is wet," she pointed to the brunette's hair in order to prove her point.

"So?"

"You could get a cold?" she really hated how her nerves betrayed her at the end of her sentence and she ended up asking a question.

The brunette sniggered mischievously, "If I get sick, I would miss some days of classes, right?" she placed her thumb and index finger over her chin.

"We're in finals, that'd be dumb."

_At least one of us is acting normally…_

"Buuh, Mio-chan, you're always a party-popper," she puckered both of her lips, simulating a child tantrum, with arms crossed over her chest.

Mio sighed and shook her head. Some things would never change.

"But you would go and keep me company if I were to get sick, right Mio?" Ritsu suddenly sat beside Mio on the bed, and regarded her with a laid-back smile.

A knot formed in Mio's throat. Should she answer? She felt blood rush to her face fast, as she twiddled with both her thumbs. She tried avoiding her eyes. At this rate…Ritsu, as dense as she was, could be able to detect her continuous nervousness around her.

"I would," she replied truthfully and turned to face her best friend from the corner of her eye only to find her face suspiciously close to hers.

The bassist froze on her place as Ritsu's face finally ended the gap between them and brushed her wet lips over hers in a kiss. The moment she broke away Mio's lips erupted in fire. Her heart spurted in happiness as she felt her face burn hotly. The dark haired girl tried to cover both her flaming cheeks with one of her hands in embarrassment. Careful enough to leave her prickling lips untouched.

_I really am like that? Aren't I? I'm really am in love with my best friend…._

"That was a goodnight kiss," she gave Mio a lopsided smile before standing up from her place and stretching like a cat.

"God, I'm beat! It's time to get some sleep—"

"Ritsu wait—"

Mio bolted up from her bed rapidly, and in her clumsiness tripped over the blankets of the futon by the base of her bed. She tumbled down, taking a smaller girl with her onto the soft ground in a very compromising position.

"Mio, you're heavy…" Ritsu grunted, trying to move away strands of silky black hair that fell onto her face.

"Uhh…Ritsu…" Mio's face was extremely red as she whispered her name. Her hands imprisoned the drummer in her place, as they had landed above her shoulders, and both of her knees were by the sides of her waist.

"Mio…what the hell…." If Mio's mind had been clearer, she would've had noticed the nervous edge to Ritsu's sentence as the drummer squirmed.

"Do…d-do you want to sleep together?" her words faltered as she closed her eyes strongly, she wasn't brave enough to see her childhood friend down right reject her.

There was a moment of silence as Ritsu's face took an unreadable expression, it didn't last much, however, as the shorter girl soon started laughing.

"Moving a bit too fast, eh Mio?" she teased with an impish grin at which Mio opened her eyes to realize their current situation in mortification. A fierce blush still obscured her cheeks before she decided to remove both of her hands from the floor in a fluster.

"I didn't it mean that way you…you…pervert!" she rose from the floor with shaky legs, not before directing a kick to the other girl's stomach in revenge. She really needed to find new ways to discharge her emotions…

"Argh, you…D-Dangerous Queen! That hurt!" Ritsu hollered on the floor as she rolled over the flat surface quite dramatically.

Mio squeezed her lips together trying to regain control of herself. She wanted to yell so many things. _You ruined the mood! _Being the most prominent in her thoughts.

"Don't do it then," she tried to leak as much anger as possible on her statement, "…I just didn't want you to catch a cold," she said the last bit in a miserable tone almost to herself, whether Ritsu heard it or not, she wasn't sure.

Of course, it had been a stupid request. Childish and intimate…and wrong…she knew they no longer did that kind of stuff. Little kids could pull it off, hormonal high school girls didn't when there was no particular reason behind it. And wanting to be near her to keep her close...and warm...wasn't a very normal reason….

_I'm such an idiot…._

"I'll do it, I bet it'll be warmer that way," Ritsu gave Mio a toothy grin with thumbs up from her place on the floor, "I hope you haven't gained weight though, otherwise we wouldn't—"

"You're so insensitive, Ritsu!" she threw the nearest pillow into the drummer's face with force, teary eyed.

She knew how sensitive she was with her weight! Stupid Ritsu! Always tormenting her…how could she love that idiot…it was so infuriating. It was her fault she was so emotionally imbalanced!

_Ugh…Did I just call myself emotionally imbalanced?_

Although that wasn't the main reason behind her tears. She really was a pathetic person….

"Hey…Mio, don't cry, it was a joke!" Ritsu stood up from her place and put a reassuring hand behind the bassist's back.

Mio wiped away the few tears that had leaked from her eyes with her sleeve. Could she really consider herself a high school girl? When all she did was cry at any minor provocation? Where did her 'I'm a responsible adult' act end up anyway?

She had been wrong all along; maybe the one being indulgent with her was Ritsu and not the other way around.

_Why do I have to be such a cry baby?_

"Hey Mio, look at me, I'm a pineapple!" Ritsu yelled beside her as she pressed both of her puffed cheeks with her hands.

A smile crept in the bassist face without her noticing it. All of her previous misdirected anger and general unhappiness quickly melted away like butter over a hot pan. That…Ritsu…always there for her…trying to cheer her up.

However, Mio wasn't going to let her get away so easily. Not this time. In a bold move dark eyes caught amber, as Mio leaned her face provocatively close to Ritsu's. Her expression was beyond unreadable.

"Mio…what are you doing…." A discreet pink color took over the drummer's face; her hands were still over her cheeks.

Mio moistened her lips before flicking her hard on the forehead with her index finger. Ritsu's head fell back like a sack of potatoes.

_I didn't have the courage after all…._

"Serves you right for being so immature," she condemned before crawling to her place in the bed beside the wall. It had always been her favorite spot since she felt safer with a wall behind her back.

Ritsu simply collapsed and fell beside the dark haired girl with a sigh, lazily picking her designated pillow from the floor and placing it behind her head.

"You should probably let your hair down; it'll dry quicker that way," Mio commented gently, partially feeling guilty at her last action. She had already gotten under the covers and was now on her side staring at the brunette—who was staring at the ceiling with a curious expression.

"Really…," her voice droned, not sounding particularly interested, "Fine…." She sled under the covers, accidentally brushing her cold feet with Mio's. In a quick movement of her right hand she tore the head tie way from her hair. Soon the wet bangs fell over her face in a short cascade of honey hair.

Mio fought hard to look away and steal a glance at the clock over her bed, it read 12 AM.

"Your bangs are really long…"she found herself whispering as she returned her stare to Ritsu's direction, not having enough determination in her to stare at the wall.

The brunette merely decided to push her bangs back, so that her face was visible again.

"They are not as long as your hair though," Ritsu's voice was breathy as she proceeded to close her eyes.

There was a moment of silence for Mio as she turned off the lights. Soon, she turned again to her side on her bed and just stared. Ritsu's hair was still wet and it glistened slightly in the dark. Mio inhaled sharply before making up her mind and without giving it much thought started running her fingers through tangled locks of tawny hair.

There was a purr and Mio almost jumped out of her bed in surprise. _W-what? Wasn't Ritsu sleep?_ Oh god. Soon, she withdrew her hand in embarrassment, determined to get to sleep.

The brief pause that followed almost convinced the bassist she had gotten away with it and Ritsu had dismissed her fingers as part of her active imagination.

It didn't seem she had such luck.

"Mio? Why did you stop?" the brunette's words were slightly sluggish, the bassist was quite glad the dark room made it impossible to see her flush. Ritsu's eyes however remained closed.

"Uh…."

"Could you continue that?" her voice was very soft, like a child begging her mother for another bedtime story.

"W-what?"

Maybe if she played dumb, Ritsu could dismiss it as her imagination and forget about it. Right?

"Playing with my hair? ...I do it all the time with yours…it's only fair…." Her words were turning slower and clumsier as she progressed her slurred speech.

"I…."

"Please?" she whispered the last bit with such a pleading tone it reminded Mio of a cute little dog.

Ritsu's face was relaxed and comfortable, with a light blush still on her cheeks, and her eyebrows were slightly higher than usual in expectation. Mio's heart skipped a beat as she started running her fingers through Ritsu's brown hair again, in slow rhythmical patterns. The brunette's eyebrows relaxed considerably at the touch and drifted off into sleep.

_I could continue doing this for all my life._

Mio wasn't conscious of the time, or for how long she continued stroking Ritsu's hair. Her heart was ready to burst through her chest any time soon, but just watching her best friend's face so calm and relaxed gave her such a warm feeling that she couldn't find it in her to stop. Her forehead, even when the others had often poked fun at her, including herself, was now particularly endearing as the sound of Ritsu's breathing filled the room. And so, before she knew it, Mio's head moved on its own to settle a kiss over a certain someone's forehead.

She was sure the innocent kiss lasted longer than ordinary but she couldn't find it in her to care. Even if Ritsu was to not feel the same way she felt about her, Mio felt that if they had small endearing moments like this, she could get to be happy for the rest of her life. As long as Ritsu was there for her, she could be happy.

By the time she drifted away to sleep, one hand entwined in tresses of honey hair, Mio had completely forgotten she was still childishly afraid of the dark.

* * *

Exam week ended without a glitch. Ritsu went through exams after lots of cramming nights and insistent nagging from a certain bassist, as she usually did. Tsumigi and Asuza did well as expected. While Yui managed to pull it off quite well with the help of Nodoka and her sister. And so, the light music club resumed their activities that consisted in lots of tea and pastries and little practice.

Winter was quickly coming to an end, and with such the school year. The girls of the light music club split at the usual spot, waving goodbyes to each other with a warm smile, happy to have finished yet another day of school.

Ritsu and Mio were just a couple of streets away from the station. The few stores on their way home were like an extra in their routine walk. They hadn't gotten too far when Mio felt someone tap her over the shoulder. She almost jumped in the air with surprise. It was not often that she got signaled down in the street.

"Ehhh…excuse me," a deep voice barely reached her ears.

"Ehh…Mio, turn around…someone's talking to you," Ritsu's voice was expressionless as she yanked the taller girl from her shoulder so she could greet the stranger properly.

Mio was surprised to find a tall, good looking guy in school uniform, with auburn hair and a long scarf around his neck. His expression looked something in-between distressed and nervous.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you while you're with your friend, but…here," he said very rapidly and with a quick bow offered Mio a small envelope in his outstretched hands.

His face was brightly colored; his hands had a perceivable quiver to them.

Mio felt Ritsu shift beside her.

_W-who…who is this person? _

"Please contact me, if you're interested!" He added once he noticed the bassist's confused face.

There was a pause that lasted a couple of seconds.

"Thank you!" It was Ritsu, however, who took the envelope from his hands, and regarded him with a flashy confident smile.

"I'll make sure she'll contact you soon!" she added with thumbs up, as she slung one of her arms over Mio's shoulders.

Seeing the positive reaction from her friend, the guy bowed again as he excused himself. He left with a very relieved expression on his face. Something in Mio's stomach pummeled to the ground as Ritsu kept waving goodbye animatedly beside her.

Mio's frantic heart wouldn't leave her alone as she completely missed the moment they had resumed their walk towards their respective homes in relative silence, having being led by Ritsu's cold hand. By the time they reached the park, where they had kissed on their first date, Mio couldn't find it in her to continue walking. The realization of what had just happened had barely been processed by her brain.

Ritsu released her hand from Mio's and placed it over the bassist's shoulder, once she sensed her best friend's refusal to continue walking.

"This is great, isn't it Mio?" From the corner of her eye the bassist could see her smiling at her.

Something in Mio shattered at her words.

"His uniform is from a school for wealthy, fairly smart people. And he was good looking!" she cried out excitedly, Mio regarded her with a lost look.

"And he seemed like a good person too! It's perfect!" Ritsu gushed with emotion as she squeezed her shoulder once.

Mio's mind was too lost on a rainbow of emotions to actually grasp the meaning to the brunette's words.

_No…._

"Here," Ritsu reached for Mio's left hand and placed the enveloped over it, "call him when you get home," her smile was so big as she closed her eyes reassuringly at her it almost drove the bassist to tears.

_So this is really the end…._

"Well…I guess… we'll no longer need to pretend we're in a relationship, right?" she turned her back to Mio, both her hands behind her head, "Oh well," Mio didn't miss the soberness in her words, "it was quicker than I expected," the drummer said the last bit as an afterthought.

_Me too…._

"Y-yeah…." Mio's voice cracked as her throat refused to make any other sounds in fears of triggering her sobs.

"Well, I have an errand to run before going home so…I'll just leave this way, okay?" Ritsu turned her face to Mio again as she pointed to the opposite way to her house, back towards the station.

The dark haired girl nodded feebly, not really knowing what else to do, as every single fiber of her body incited her to run home and cry into her mother's lap. To cry a river, a sea, an ocean, until there were no more tears to shed.

_It didn't want this to happen…._

"Goodbye, Mio," something in Ritsu's voice broke and Mio felt warm, moist lips over hers again.

The kiss was very slow and gentle, like one of those cold evenings they spent cuddling as they watched movies together, the distinct flavor of strawberry cake and tea seeped from her lips into her mouth. It wasn't long before the kiss ended—leaving behind shuddering lips and regretful thoughts.

"That was a goodbye kiss," Ritsu smiled again before waving with her hand, "I'm off!" she yelled before running off on the opposite direction, not looking back.

_Who's been watching too many dramas, now Ritsu? Stupid…._

Finally something inside her heart broke as the tear that been threatening to escape leaked, a couple more following in quick succession.

_I wasn't happy to receive that letter! Stupid Ritsu! Why…why did you let me go so easily!_

More angry tears spilled through her eyes as Mio kicked a lonely rock from the ground before crouching on her knees like a little kid. She should have never accepted to pretend a relationship. She would have never realized her feelings…she would have never fallen for her best friend!

_I really do love her though…._

Mio sniffed loudly. She felt like continue to cry but thought better of it and brushed away the remaining tears with her jacket. She probably looked very pathetic crying by her own in a park…she could at least wait until she got home and cry into her pillow, waiting for sleep to overcome her sorrow.

_So pathetic…._

_And I can't tell her because it's been pretend all along…._

She thought gloomily to herself when the image of a gentle blonde soon inundated her senses.

"_Are you going to do something about it?"_

"_Do you want her to know?"_

Mio's heart constricted painfully inside her ribcage. Could she risk it? To tell her how she felt? Could Ritsu feel the same way about her, too?

_Why had she proposed to go out with each other, anyway? Why would she kiss me so gently? Why did she try to make me feel like she really did love me?_

As a couple of more tears rolled down her cheeks, something gripped her stomach with resolution.

If she was fast enough she could still catch her, right? Even if she were to be rejected…she just had to get it out of her system. If she were to continue with her life like that, there was no way she'd be able to continue with her life without regrets. This was her opportunity. Even if it was her only shot. She wasn't about let her future self obsess with the 'what ifs' of her indecision. She couldn't be scared.

Now was the present.

And the present dictated, Akiyama Mio was deeply in love with Tainaka Ritsu.

_Ritsu, you will have to listen to me._

_I'm not scared anymore._

_If only you were to accept my heart! _

"I'm being so stupid," she whispered to herself before getting up and running off in a sprint.

* * *

She had been running frantically through the streets closest to the station. Despite being winter it was crowded with high school students and business men running to their respective destinations.

Her heartbeat was loud enough she could hear it resonating in her eardrums. Her heels were on fire as she fought her way through the sea of people, it probably wouldn't take long for her wheezing to kick in. There were so many faces; Mio felt as if her task was that of finding a needle in a haystack.

Fifteen minutes into her search and it seemed fortune was on her side. There she was, Tainaka Ritsu, walking by a pastry shop. She could recognize that messy brown hair anywhere.

Her heart exploded in her chest when she started shouting for her name.

"R-Ritsu!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, scaring a couple of middle students on her way. The brunette didn't seem to have any intention of looking back.

Mio accelerated her pace and grabbed a hold of her coated arm, "Ritsu I—"

The drummer finally turned to face her, her eyes were slightly red, as a couple of tears went down her already damp cheeks. Mio froze in her place. She could count with one of her hands the times she'd seen her childhood friend cry, and of all those times she had never seemed so unhappy. It was usually the other way around.

_Why is she crying? _

Ritsu sniffed as she tried to rub the tears from her eyes quite unsuccessfully, "Why did you come after me…" her voice was unusually quiet, Mio's grip on her arm intensified "…when I just managed to let you go?"

_Huh? I don't get it…._

Mio's brain tried to work overdrive to process her words. The sight of an unhappy crying Ritsu was making her heart ache, "Hey…ah…don't cry," the bassist felt thoroughly disappointed with herself at the fact that her words were of no help as a sob escaped from the brunette's throat.

Mio could feel herself panicking rapidly as a couple of bystanders gave them a pointed stare.

"Ritsu…don't cry…. I'll end up crying too if you continue," She could never take it whenever her best friend was crying, since Ritsu had always been the stronger of the two.

Seeing her that sad and vulnerable only strengthened the bassist's need to keep her close. Even if it had always been the other way around, for one moment, Mio wanted to be the one able to comfort her best friend. Not knowing what else to do, Mio swathed Ritsu in a hug, feeling desolated when it didn't make the situation better, as she felt hot tears wetting her shoulder.

"I'm really sorry, Mio," Ritsu's mouth was so close to her ear she felt shivers travel down her back, "….but I'm in love with you."

Mio stiffened in her place once she heard those words exit her mouth. She couldn't find the words as her crazy heart deprived her from thinking straight. Something hot started building up behind her eyes, as the warm feeling of happiness flourished through all her body.

Suddenly she felt the drummer separating briskly from their hug, "I'm sorry…I won't bother you anymore, w-we…we don't have to change anything about our friendship I—"

Mio smiled at her before engaging the shorter girl into another hug, which she didn't return. It was Ritsu's turn to stiffen as the bassist sighed contently over her shoulder, a huge wave of relief overcoming her body.

"Mio?"

The taller girl approached her lips to other girl's ear, feeling alleviated that she had at least managed to stop the drummer's tears. "You really are d-dense." It was no surprise when her voice croaked.

There was a brief pause as Mio imagined Ritsu's expression turning into a confused frown.

"I love you too," Mio's words were quickly taken by the wind as she felt a strong pair of arms encircling her waist.

Goofy smiles were hard to maintain and so neither of them was surprised when both of them erupted in a fit of giggles, all of them while crying.

* * *

As long as they had the present with each other, they didn't need to rely on their memories unless they were to make their present even richer. That fact alone made Mio's heart soar into the sky.

* * *

The two weeks before the start of their final year of high school were the happiest Mio had ever lived. If she did say so herself, as her whole high school experience consisted of nothing but happy memories with her friends—something she could only thank a certain brown haired drummer who seemed intent on keeping every single one of her days bright and beautiful. Hence having met, Tainaka Ritsu, was probably the best occurrence in her life, as she now couldn't really picture her life without the energetic girl by her side.

Such a simple thought made Mio's stomach bustle with butterflies as she put yet another piece of her strawberry chiffon dessert happily into her mouth.

No one could blame her for being mushy now, could they?

"You really love your strawberry desserts, don't you?" Ritsu said with amusement from across her with a smirk.

In Mio's experience, that probably meant she was about to get teased.

"Yeah…I do," a light pink blush crept on her cheeks as she gave the drummer a content smile, in hopes to deter the Tainaka devil from her ill intent.

"Ah…" the words died inside the drummer's mouth but she quickly recovered, changing her embarrassed expression into an innocent smile.

"You'll put on weight if you continue like that," Ritsu said casually as if she were talking about the weather, taking a bite of her own strawberry dessert.

Ritsu's smile was sweet as Mio sent a death glare her way. She was sensitive about her weight and she knew that! The bassist kicked the drummer's shin under the table with fury. The brunette doubled over the table in pain.

"Geez…how sensitive."

"You…you're eating strawberry desserts all the time too!" Mio tried to defend herself, pointing to the evidence over the table with a mortified expression. Blushing cheeks and wide eyes.

Ritsu giggled to herself as she propped both her elbows onto the table to rest her head over both of her closed fists with a pleasant smile.

"That's only because you love strawberry tasting lips," there was a mix of amusement and tenderness in her statement that sent Mio into instant panic as her face suddenly drained from all its color.

_She knew? !_

"Uhhh…Mio? Did your brain explode or something?"

A bright flush took over her face again, as she, Akiyama Mio felt herself turning slightly light headed.

She couldn't really deny that now, could she?

Mio was quite glad the present was constantly flowing and unchangeable, since if she were to be given the opportunity to change something… there was no way she'd change anything.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A white, slightly wrinkled piece of paper lay on the desk of a certain dark haired bassist. It seemed Akimaya Mio had finally found her inspiration.

* * *

_If I could capture this moment, like a photograph, I would_

_As my heart yearns for another one of your kisses_

_A Strawberry Feathery Kiss from you is all I want_

_But if I just were to be like this _

_Just by your side_

_I'd still be happy_

* * *

**End **

* * *

A/N: Aww, it's such a shame this got to an end. I enjoyed writing this thoroughly. Although writing a crying Ritsu was of the most complicated. I hope it turned out well. Also, it's around February so…they have final exams. As to why Mugi was so 'reserved' about the "news" is all up to you to decide. Oh, and the last 'paragraph' in italics...are supposed to be lyrics, if it wasn't obvious enough. I tried my best! *gets shot*

Also…I might right some sort of sequel. Any of you guys up for it? Maybe in Ritsu's point of view, set in the future? We'll see how that goes.

Constructive criticism is always welcomed, just as positive feedback or if you just happen to have an opinion or have something to share, don't hesitate to leave a review.

* * *

_This was the final chapter._

_Hope you guys enjoyed the ride!_

* * *

_**Lycopene**_


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